Submission Number: 383
Submission ID: 1319
Submission UUID: 7386e696-a310-48ce-8371-7eb1cd5188cc

Created: Sat, 03/16/2024 - 01:33
Completed: Sat, 03/16/2024 - 01:33
Changed: Tue, 05/06/2025 - 16:21

Remote IP address: 122.172.83.249
Submitted by:Anonymous
Language: English

Is draft: No

Flagged: Yes
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Vanesha
Hari
She/Her
Redmond
WA
USA
98052
Electrical & Computer Engineering
English (5), Tamil (1), Spanish (1)
I belong to a community of changemakers. Throughout my childhood, I was innately curious, challenged by the status quo, specifically when someone was not given the same opportunity that I had. As a family we traveled multiple times a year, so I was a lucky young globetrotter. I closely observed children in Costa Rica not having adequate English teachers and young girls in India and Africa doing chores at home to financially support their parents instead of attending school. Traveling was when I experienced personal growth, discovery and felt my powerful self. I experienced moments when characters came to life, and I became acquainted with heroes and lessons that continue to inspire me today. It was a ritual that I will never forget. My parents inspired me from a young age with their generous giving and community service. My travel and learning experiences led to founding my nonprofit initiative and public advocacy focused on educational inequity and youth hunger impacting over 1,500 youth and fundraising over $20,000.

Being part of RAP will help me be part of a community of changemakers with diverse unique perspectives and leave a legacy of purpose. When I grow resilient through tough lessons and learn to find a deeper sense of appreciation and gratitude to celebrate life, I am not only a better leader but also a better daughter, friend, sister, and student.

Over the years, my diverse travel experiences have shaped me to be curious, open-minded, and develop a strong sense of respect and empathy. With my willingness to share and learn from various perspectives, actively engage in the campus community while advocating for positive change, we can collectively foster a vibrant environment of diverse intellectual growth and discovery.
I would love to be with a compassionate and curious engineer with a growth mindset who can talk about various diverse topics, take a walk with me, grab a meal or a late-night coffee to keep us up on late study nights. My neighbor would be open to learning about customs, traditions, and languages beyond their own. I would love to interact with a likeminded neighbor and discuss my passion for how together we collaborate and build engineering technological solutions to make this world a better place and infuse more kindness. My ideal neighbor would be mindful of noise levels, shared spaces, and the need for quiet study hours and we would ideally strike a balance between socializing and respecting each other’s privacy. Being an adventurous person who loves to ski, I would love to share that common interest with my neighbor.

In summary, my dream neighbor in the Global Engineering RAP would be open to diverse cultures, collaborative, respectful and supportive. I would love to have a neighbor who is a true global engineer ready to solve some of the world’s challenges while sharing a hallway and coffee with me!
I recall when I walked into my first robotics class feeling underdressed. I felt an awkward silence. Was I at fault for being the only girl? My first few months in the team were a struggle. I was given directions instead of inclusive and collaborative engagement. Eventually, I mustered the courage to share my ideas, which led us to the World Championship. I learned that perseverance, grit, and holding on to my passion despite adversity would pave the path for myself and inspire others. This learning experience will be an asset I will bring to the Global Engineering RAP community.

As a passionate tinkerer, I went on a mission to be a voice of change as part of my nonprofit by reaching out to local nonprofits, organizing fundraisers, creating curriculum and leading STEM outreach workshops, focused on the underserved impacting over 1000 youth and fundraising over $20,000. I quickly realized the need for harnessing the power of technology for social good. In high school, as a President of the Girls Who Code club, 2x Robotics World championship participant, and Senior STEM instructor in multiple organizations, I explored the intersection of technology, engineering for societal impact beyond the conventional academic knowledge and am looking forward to sharing these learning experiences with the RAP community.

Being a member of the Global Engineering RAP community and cohort of likeminded motivated individuals, I will have the opportunity to expand my passion for community service through engineering and technology by engaging in practical hands-on learning, experience interdisciplinary academic growth with mentors, engage in personal development through culturally diverse exchanges and leadership opportunities. Being far away from home, this cohort will help me build resilience, collaboration and provide a support system. I am excited to contribute my curiosity, growth mindset, diverse perspectives, creativity, and dedication to this vibrant community.
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